August 2012

Bresaola: Air dried and cured beef

This item can be made at home without sodium nitrate and nitrite by using celery powder or beet powder because they contain a high level of naturally occurring nitrates/nitrites.

1lb beef roast or tenderloin

1 cup kosher salt or 1 1/2 cups iodine free table salt

1/2 cup white or raw sugar

1 T dried thyme

1 T dried rosemary minced or ground

2 T ground black pepper

2 T ground Juniper Berries

1 T fresh ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp sodium nitrate

1/4 tsp sodium nitrite

(or 1 T Morton’s Tender Quick)

Butcher’s twine or cheese cloth

Tall plastic container wide enough to hold roast(s)

Process:

Mix salt and sugar with nitrate and nitrite and the dried herbs.

Mix 2 Tbs salt mixture with black pepper, juniper and nutmeg store in airtight container.

Trim the beef roast removing as much silver-skin and fat as possible.

Lay 1/3 salt mixture in plastic container add beef roast and cover with salt and herbs.

Let stand 3 days in refrigerator turning the roasts once a day and keeping a layer of salt on top. Drain any liquid as it collects.

On the third day remove the meat and give it a rinse in cold running water.

Dry with tea towel or paper towel and let stand 1 hour in the fridge or 20 minutes on the counter.

Tie roast with a continuous loop tie. (Make a knot around one end of the roast leaving some string dangling. Let a bit of string out and twist twice into a large loop, slip over the end of the roast and down into a position about an inch away from the previous loop. Continue all the way down the roast  making sure the loops are taut. Tuck the string under each loop along the back and tie to the original knot.)

Roll roast in salt and juniper mixture and coat thoroughly.

Hang roast in the warmest spot of refrigerator either from a colander or the refrigerator rack with a pan to catch the drippings.

Allow to hang for 3-4 weeks or until firm. The outside should be a dark burgundy/black and the inside a burgundy color. Sodium nitrate/nitrites improve this color.

 If using cheese cloth, roll roast in juniper mixture and wrap twice in cheesecloth as tight as possible. Knot one end and allow to hang in the refrigerator with the knot end down.

Photo found on Matt's lovely food blog Wrightfood. (http://mattikaarts.com/blog/)